Sickness pattern among air travellers: review of 735 cases at the Oman airport.

METHODS: The medical records of air travellers (passengers and crew) seeking emergency medical assistance at the Airport Emergency Clinic, Seeb International Airport, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, during a 1-yr period were analyzed to determine the sickness pattern among them.

RESULTS: The study revealed that 67% of the passengers seeking medical assistance were aged between 21 and 45 yr, and the majority (63.8%) was male. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, injuries (sustained during journey), and otitic barotrauma/baro-otalgia accounted for more than half (51.9%) of the cases. The most common type of injury among passengers was cuts and bruises in the scalp area, but most injuries (34.7%) occurred on airport premises, not as the result of baggage falling in-flight. Lack of aerobridges is responsible for significant number of lower limb injuries to passengers. Such data highlight the need for an injury-free environment in the airports. Barotrauma was the most common cause of aircrew unfitness to continue the flight, and usually resulted in a forced layover for the concerned aircrew.

CONCLUSIONS: The data may be useful for planning and developing medical facilities at commercial airports. Need for a safe, non-injurious environment at the airports is highlighted.